Saoirse woke to the smell of aromatic rice cooking. She was warm and wrapped in blankets, and but didn't remember falling asleep that way. She opened her eyes and sat up.
She was in an open kitchen/living room, lying on a couch. To her right was a screen that blocked off the front windows. The kitchen was to her left, and her stomach fluttered when she realized who was cooking: Cassiopeia (or Pia for short). Pia was slightly shorter than Saoirse, with pale skin, waist-length green hair pulled back in a braid, and strange crimson eyes. She wore the same long nightshirt that she'd worn before, and a fluffy bathrobe over it. When Saoirse got up she figured out why: it was cold. It was still dark outside, and the clock on Pia's kitchen wall told her that it was almost half-past seven in the morning.
Saoirse had a brief impression that there was something she had to do. She knew she was there to tell Pia something, but her need to relieve herself was stronger. Figuring she'd remember it if it was important, Saoirse stood up and headed for the bathroom.
In addition to being taller than Pia, Saoirse seemed even taller because of her pale-furred catlike ears. Her wavy shoulder-length hair was the same color as her ears and she had a fluffy knee-length tail ringed with faint orange stripes, but otherwise she looked very human. She was slightly more tanned than Pia, thin, and she wore one of Pia's borrowed nightshirts with nothing underneath.
"Morning Sersh," Pia yawned into her elbow while stirring something in a skillet. Saoirse still needed to pee, but curiosity got the better of her and she crept over to see what Pia was cooking. Saoirse opened her mouth to ask what it was-
knock knock knock
Saoirse and Pia both jumped.
Pia set down the spoon she was using and said, "That's just my doctor. If you want to keep sleeping, you can use my bed upstairs. It's a little warmer up there too."
Saoirse yawned, sitting down at the kitchen table while Pia answered the door. Outside was a small Amphibious woman; her skin was dark teal with violet freckles, and her eyes had a metallic glint. She was bundled up in several layers, with a knitted hat covering her hair and ears, and a large pair of mittens. When Pia let her in, Saoirse saw that the woman was carrying a large thermos on a strap around her shoulder. A puff of freezing air from outside washed over Saoirse, and she was glad when Pia shut the door.
"Oh, hello!" the amphibious woman said cheerily. "I'm Dr. Azri The Destructor. I'm Pia's physician." Azri pulled off one of her mittens and held up a small hand to touch palms with Saoirse. Still partially asleep and confused, Saoirse returned the greeting.
"The...Destructor?" Saoirse asked slowly while Azri busied herself in Pia's kitchen, grabbing mugs and filling them with a steaming beverage from the thermos she'd brought.
"She's from a family of glam wrestlers," explained Pia, covering the pan on the stove and taking two of the filled mugs. She set one in front of Saoirse and sat down across from her. Saoirse thanked her, though she didn't know what the opaque dark beverage was. Azri followed shortly after, and sat down with her own mug.
"I'm Saoirse," said Saoirse, trying and failing to stifle a wide yawn. She started to stretch, found that it pressed on her bladder, and stopped.
"Nice to meet you, Saoirse," said Azri. "Did you stay the night last night?"
Blushing, Pia stood up. "I'm gonna go start the eggs. One egg or two?"
"Thanks, but no eggs - I'm having breakfast with Miss May this morning," said Azri. "It smells amazing, but I don't want to fill up on rice."
"You know Mayr- I mean Miss Eneko?" Saoirse asked Azri.
Azri shrugged and took a long drink from her mug. "We've met. She's my girlfriend."
Saoirse suddenly remembered what she had to tell Pia, but didn't have time to say anything: Azri turned to Pia and asked, "Mind if I use your bathroom? I'll take your pulse and blood pressure after, then I'll be out of your hair."
"Go for it," said Pia.
When the bathroom door closed, Saoirse's bladder throbbed. Despite not having finished her mug, she was starting to get desperate. She dropped her hand surreptitiously into her lap and pinched her pseudophallus - it was an elongated clitoris, inherited from her Renoige mother along with her catlike ears and tail. Though the pseudophallus functioned in much the same way as a penis, she and other Renoige women could also give birth through it.
"Saoirse?" said Pia. The eggs were done, and she took the pan off the stove. "You okay?"
"Oh I just haven't had my morning whiz yet," tittered Saoirse.
A mischievous grin spread across Pia's face, and she approached the table with two bowls of loco moco, one of which she set in front of Saoirse. "Wanna know a secret?" Pia lowered her voice and leaned over the table. "I haven't either."
Standing so close, Saoirse smelled the faint, familiar tang of Pia's urine: she'd been leaking a little. It made Saoirse's pseudophallus expand a little in her hand-
The bathroom door opened and Azri emerged. Pia sat cooperatively while Azri got her pulse and respiratory rates, and took her temperature using a small handheld device. She jotted all of the information down, stowing her things safely in an inner pocket, and pulled her mittens back on. There was a click on the wall, and a heating system kicked on.
"Aand that's your heating system," said Azri. She stepped toward the door. "Is it on a timer?"
Pia took a drink from her mug and crossed her legs tightly under the table, trying to look casual. Saoirse couldn't believe she hadn't noticed how desperate Pia was before.
"Yep. It's set for seven-thirty," Pia replied.
